Five Friends Every Woman Needs: Why a “Diversified Support System” is Best for Coping with a Crisis

(Alberta, Canada) - Who, besides your friends, can understand your
need for the same style shoe in five different colors or how a salad,
diet drink, and a slice of double chocolate cheesecake constitutes a
balanced lunch?

Friends make life fun. They provide encouragement, honesty, and
support. But since each person has their own unique strengths, it is
important to cultivate friendships with a variety of individuals.

“Developing relationships with an assortment of people is vital,” says
Karen Simmons, author of “Surrounded by Miracles: How a Circle
of Love Saved One Woman's Life in 57 Days” (Exceptional Resources, Inc.,
SurroundedbyMiracles.com). “Embrace the differences of each individual.”

In Simmons' experience, a diverse group of friends proved priceless support during her
own battle for survival. In 1994 her family was told she had a 1% chance to live. She'd
gone to the hospital for a routine birth, but instead found herself receiving her last rites.
Over the course of two months, Simmons fought a vicious battle with illness and finally
came out victorious. She credits her recovery not only to God, but also to the way friends
wove their various strengths into a web of support.

To expand your own circle of support, Simmons suggests you nurture friendships with
five different types of friends:

·
Unconditional Supporter - Never more than a phone call away, no matter what.
·
Brutally Honest Friend- Tells you straight up how badly you need a new antiwrinkle
cream.
·
Devil's Advocate - Always asks you to consider things from a different perspective.
·
Misery Loves Company Companion - Always ready to share tissues and tears.
·
Intellectual Stimulator - Tosses out ideas that make your creative mind run wild.

No single person can fill all your needs. By surrounding yourself with a variety of friends,
you will not only up your fun-quotient, you will also set yourself up to meet any challenge
with a strong, multi-faceted support system.

“What Would You Do If….?” Prepare Yourself for a Major Life Issue with the
“Crisis Game Plan” available at www.SurroundedbyMiracles.com.
# # #

Karen Simmons, Real Life Survivor and Supporter for Special Needs

Karen Simmons is the CEO of the internationally recognized
Autism Today™, an organization that is one of the world's leading
resources for special needs. A successful businesswoman, mother of six
and an in-demand keynote speaker, Karen is the author of four books and
the co-author of the forthcoming “Chicken Soup for the Special Needs Soul”
along with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson and Heather McNamara; visit ChickenSoupStories.com.

Currently based in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and family of six children,
Karen is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, which gives her and her
organization a uniquely expansive network with the worldwide special needs community.

Surrounded by Miracles: How a Circle of Love Saved One Woman's Life in 57 Days
Exceptional Resources, Inc.
2005
ISBN: 978-0-9724682-7-5
$14.95
AutismToday.com